Teaching is a hard profession to enter. No one can deny that. Teachers tend to have a burn out rate of 5 years. One of the best ways to help get past this is having a support system in your school. This usually starts with a mentor in the building. Most districts have a new teacher program that pairs new teachers with a mentor in their building. This mentor is the first line of defense and support for a new teacher and is an incredibility important relationship.

The quality of the mentors used in a school seem to have a direct relationship to new teachers staying in the profession and staying in that specific district.

What makes a good mentor? What qualities do mentors need to have to be what they need to be for new teachers?

Positive - Being positive can really help a new teacher feel welcome and help them get past the rough spots that can happen during a school year. Negativity is a killer in our profession. When a teacher gets to that negative point, they can be poison to a new teacher. This doesn’t mean that a mentor shouldn’t address and recognize problems, but work on a way to solve them in a constructive way without negativity.

Open - It is also good for the mentor to be a person that is very open. They share with their new teacher all of the parts of the job. Everything they need to know whether it is good or bad, new teachers need to know it so they can prepare a plan to deal with it. A mentor should have an open door policy in their classroom for the new teacher. Observing other teachers is a great way to learn and the mentor needs to open to discussing what they are doing. Being able to share what is working well and what is not working, can be a good learning tool for new teachers.

Inclusive - Isolation is hard to deal with and even though a teacher is in their own room most of the time, doesn’t mean they want to feel isolated in their building. Having a mentor that invites them to school functions and functions outside of the building will help that new teacher feel connected to the school and community. That can go a long way in retaining teachers.

A Coach - The mentor has to be able to acknowledge when a new teacher has a classroom challenge and being willing and able to address that challenge with the new teacher. This takes many observations, discussions, and strategies with the new teacher. A new teacher is never going to get better if they don’t work on their skills.

A Listener/Sounding Board - New teachers need someone who will really listen to them and not judge them. Someone they can talk to about ideas, celebrations, challenges, and life in general without judgement but support and guidance. It is important for you to ask questions to get new teachers to be reflective about their practice. New teachers will also need you to keep them informed on school policies and practices. They will not know the ins and outs of the building. They might not even know what to ask, so they will need their mentor to give them a heads up.

Long-term - Being a mentor is a multi-year job. New teachers are not going to be suddenly a master after one year and will need guidance for the first few years. You could say that a teacher always needs a mentor no matter how many years they have teaching.

Our profession is very important and we should do all we can to keep quality new teachers in the profession. Having a mentor with these qualities can go a long way to helping a new teacher grow and feel welcome in their school.